Finally, the Truth
by The Ghostly Minion
Summary: The title says it all.


**Finally, the Truth**

 **A/N: All belongs to JKR, except my crazy ideas.**

147 year old ex-Hogwarts Headmaster Harry Potter stood at the - not really a mirror, though it had some of the properties of the legendary Marauders' mirrors. Nor was it it strictly speaking, a cauldron, though it had depth and held approximately five gallons of a potion some fifty-odd years in its development. As the project had slowly worked to this hour, the apparatus had been dubbed ' _The Viewing Box_ '. Truly a name less self-important than ' _Oden's Eye_ ' as the Unspeakables called it.

The first of those surrounding him was his wife of 127 years, Hermione. The rest of the team consisted of the current Potions Mistress at the school, Blaise Zabini, (great granddaughter of Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass). Also, there were ten Unspeakables, seven of whom(?) were known to be children, grandchildren, or great grandchildren of the Potters.

Additionally, there were some 150 others who had worked on the project at some point or another. A different application of the mirrors allowed them to follow along with the test. All hoped for a successful test, but the full team also hoped to find the answer to the two mysteries at the heart of the project.

"Are we ready to try the Viewing Box?" Harry's question got a murmur of affirmatives. Harry used the magic-aided keyboard to input the date; 2 May,1998, Sunrise; the end of the fabled 'Battle of Hogwarts', the ending of the Second Voldemort War.

They saw the attempted torture of Neville Longbottom, his slaying of Nagini, the last Horcrux, then all Hell bursting loose with the Hogsmeaders, Centaurs, and House Elves joining the battle. Then the battle, eventually petering out to the two engagements; Voldemort vs Shaklebolt, McGonagal, and Slughorn in one, Bellatrix vs Ginny, Hermione, and Luna in the other. Everyone else knew that the winners of those duels would win the battle. "Slow progression to half-speed, overhead view." barked Harry.

As they remembered, when Bellatrix almost caught Ginny with the Killing Curse, Molly shoved them aside and dueled Bellatrix. After an increasingly vicious exchange of spells, Molly finally got a heart-stop spell through, killing Bellatrix.

As it was officially known, Voldemort screamed his anger over the death of his right-hand. His opponents were blown to the winds in his fury.

He aimed and sent a screamed _Avda Kedrava_ at the Weasley matriarch. Then the fourth massive shock of the morning happened. The spell, _Protego_ , rumbled out of nowhere. The 'dead' Harry Potter emerged from beneath his invisibility cloak and the Voldemort's curse never reached its target, his shield absorbed it.

Then, they circled, and Harry revealed that he was the Deathstick's master. Then the simultaneous casting of curses, Voldemort's collapse, and Harry plucking the Elder Wand out of the air.

"OK, from Bella's death on, one quarter speed, same view." They saw the circling wizards, the spells casted. Finally, they saw that the Elder Wand expelled the _Avada Kedrava_ into Voldemort, then launching itself into the air for Harry to catch. The scene was replayed four more times, from other angles. Each time the reason for Voldemort's death was the same.

"That settles that", Hermione said softly, with awe. "It was all the judgement of the Wand, not that any of us could ever have known back then."

"That's true darling. I have to say it's a relief for me. I've seen, caused too much death in my life: Quirrell, the Basilisk and the Horcruxes, Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore, Snape, all the dead from the Battle, and the couple times since. For Tom to have committed suicide means one less death on my soul..."

At that point, he broke down into sobs. Hermione, and the Unspeakables surrounded him and let him cry it out. Some minutes later, Harry sat in a chair, drinking a second calming potion. A few minutes later, he girded his loins for _The_ _Main Event_.

Finally, he stood, took a deep breath, and inputted the date where for him, prophecy and action met and determined his life. "1 October 1981, 2000 hours". The scene shown was the parlour, with James Potter reading. "The best we could determine is that the event occurred between 2000 hours and 0000, 1 November. This is your area, love."

Hermione and two Unspeakables nodded. "Husband mine, I went through a library of records of the First War. The methods of DeathEater attacks were quite stereotyped and Voldemort's even more so. Our advice was to start a bit before the most likely time range."

"And when Hermione Potter recommends, I pay attention!" Harry said trustfully. "The speed will go two times normal, until Voldemort and Wormtail arrive. Then, we'll go at one tenth speed."

This was the problem he'd worried over like a dog with a bone, ever since his time in Grimmauld Place between Fourth and Fifth years. Even with Mrs. Weasley trying to run the mansion's economy, Sirius curbed her worst tendencies and made sure that Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred and George were updated on the Order's meetings. That helped Harry smooth over his rant at his best friends. It still took several days though, and his eating a goodly bit of humble pie.

When Sirius could tell about the scene in Godric's Hollow, he had been and continued to be galvanized. He'd found Harry, in the wreak of the nursery, sitting near Lily, both of whom were clear of the debris. Therein lay the eeriest feature of the tableau; Lily had no mark from the _Avada Kedrava,_ saving only the expected look of vague horror. But Harry had the lightening bolt mark on his forehead. Nothing had hit him, yet there was a scar.

After hearing Sirius' account, andthen eventually a penseive memory, Harry'd wondered why the scar. He'd collected all sorts of ideas: the reflection of the curse from Harry had changed the effect of the curse, Lily's protection marked him, Luna thought it was the Nargles, somehow. Oddly similar were the Physics explanations; heightened concentrations of Tachyons or other postulated FTL particles, like Neutrinos. Some of the others gave unhelpful advice along the lines of 'Just accept it'. Well, he had to accept it, but he wanted to know WHY.

Then the image showed the door being blown in. "Stop!" A glance at the time display. "Note the time is 2217. Now forward at one tenth speed." Harry was grateful for the feel of Hermione's arms around his waist, the feel of her body pressing again his back.

From above they saw James Potter give his all in 'a courageous fight' lasting far longer than any expected. All of this was burned into Harry's memories, from the end of his first, second and fourth years. James dodged and sent back his own curses, which were batted aside. Finally, Voldemort connected with a stinging jinx. James straightened and was hit by an _Avada Kedrava_.

"Switching to the nursery, side view", barked Harry. They saw the door slam open. They all knew from viewing his memories in a Penseive, what they said to the other. Finally, Lily died, standing in front of fifteen-month-old Harry. When she fell, Voldemort never stepped closer, but immediately cast _Avada Kedrava_. The curse reflected, disembodying, Voldemort. And then, something came out of Voldemort's body, striking Harry's forehead and forming a well-known scar. Repeats from several angles confirmed it. The scar formed when the soul fragment entered him.

After the screen went blank, Harry stood for some moments, still gripped by his wife. Eventually, he turned in her arms and kissed her with the totality of his love. "So, 'twas the soul fragment. I feel so much lighter, in so many ways. I'll be..." He blanked that thought from his mouth. Yes, he **was** damned, but he'd no idea what a life without it could have been. He'd be nothing without Hermione at his side, and she was the most important thing.

"Now we are done. The Box goes now to the DOM, history section and will stay active for two months, then dies. As of now, all knowledge about its making has left its creators' minds. Any misuse and it'll shut down."

FINITE

 **A/N: This story is not Betaed, so blame me for any and all goofs.**

 **I hope you like this Birthday story. I tried to tie up loose ends from canon (for me only the novels). For example, How did Molly kill Bellatrix? I've read all sorts of things in fandom, including the** ** _Avada Kedrava. So_** **, I decreed it was a heart-stop spell/curse.**

 **Other issues, like the Ron and Hermione and Harry and Ginny, seem to have simply worked themselves out over time. Other things, like Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass having a female great granddaughter named 'Blaise', is my way at poking fun at the FF stories in which 'he' is turned into a 'she'.**

 **What wizard or wizards Luna marries, what witch or witches Neville marries is up for grabs. Rolf, Hannah, Susan, some OC, I figure it all works out, maybe monogamously, maybe not. IDK!**

 **Finally, I like the idea of some of H &H's children are Unspeakables and that they have neutered the DoM' fabled independence and power.**

 **The Ghostly Minion**


End file.
